- Nima Elbagir (Photo Credit: concisenews.global)
Nima Elbagir, a Senior Correspondent of the international media organization, CNN, has slammed the Nigerian government for not having regards for the media.
Speaking with Nigerian journalists at the second edition of the African Women in Media Conference that took place in Ibadan, Elbagir, who is well known for her undercover reporting expressed that the Nigerian government is fond of not acting on issues reported by journalists in the country except such issues are reported by foreign media.
In her words, Elbagir said, “It is unfortunate that the Nigerian government does not have regard for the media and would not act on issues reported by local media except a foreign media outfit reports it before attracts necessary attention.”
She further stressed that Nigeria and some countries across the world show less concern about content published in indigenous media but ascribe much respect to foreign media contents on their national matters.
The award-winning and internationally respected journalist, however, urged Nigerian journalists to be persistent and sustain the momentum as a way to achieve expected change or impact through their reporting.
Elbagir who was denied a visa to be a part of the conference in person joined via Skype to deliver her keynote speech.
She encouraged women in the media to keep reporting issues and make themselves visible in the profession. She added that women visibility in media could inspire other women in the country.
In her closing remark, Convener of the African Women in Media Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola mentioned that AWIM was set up in response to her search for a supportive network for women working in media industries.
Akinbobola, who noted that the attendance at the conference was beyond her expectations, disclosed that the 3rd edition of AWIM conference will be a festival and will hold in Kenya with the tag ‘AWIMFesti19’.
To end the conference, two winners of the NGRI award were announced. Hannah Ojo of the Nation Newspaper and Rolake Bello of Fresh FM won the investigation grant prize.